Tipping policies

Hello...

My husband and I are going to CN with our best friends in December. We are first timers. I'm sure this has been discussed on the board numerous times before, but wanting to know what to expect for tipping. I know tipping is not part of the policy for the resort, and we will bring small gifts (i.e. chocolates, etc.) for that. Where else should we be prepared to tip with cash? And how much is standard for tipping?

Starting from when you get off the plane, you'll tip the baggage handlers on the way to your bus ride to the resort. Don't let anybody get your bag until you get to the Couples lounge and they'll take your bag from there and get a tag on it... don't tip them, they are Couples employees. You tip the guys OUTSIDE that take the bags to the bus. That's your first tip upon arrival. $1 or $2 per person/bag These are not Couples employees, thus the tip.

Then tip the driver of the bus when he drops you off at your resort, again, not a Couples employee, so you tip. We usually give him about $5 or $10

Now you are on the resort and none of those employees are tipped, ever.

In the spa, these are contracted to Couples, so you can tip if you want, but not required. We usually have massages and tip $10 or $15

If you take any excursions that are outside the resort, again, those are not Couples employees so take tip money. Example, Dunns River Falls... you'll tip the bus driver, guides on the Falls, and the videographer... about $5 each or whatever you want.

Again... ON the resort, none of those employees are tipped... you can put away your money the whole time you are there... relax....

When you leave the resort to head home... tip the driver when he drops you off at the airport.

Advice here... get your own bag off the bus and proceed inside to the airport. It's totally unnecessary and almost a scam how the guys will stand outside the busses dropping off people to go into the airport for their return trip home. They grab the bags, and drop them on the ground and then demand tip money. We always just get our own bag off and proceed on inside. It's literaly a few steps. I don't mind tipping for a service, but this is highway robbery and we don't allow them to get our bag off the bus anymore after that first trip when we didn't know any better, and another couple told us what was going on.

You tip the luggage handler at the airport, usually $1 dollar per bag. The driver, usually 5 or 10 dollars a piece. I think...spa and massage, you CAN tip. I know others will have an answer. If you search the board you will find information too.

You are expected to tip the baggage handlers at the airpot $1/bag. You should also tip the bus driver (we do $10). The crew of the catamaran cruise are not hotel staff. The spa staff are hotel employees, but since you pay for the service you should tip 15% - 20%.

There is another thread on this same subject and I have posted there as well. But quickly:

Tip the baggage handlers at the airport that haul your stuff out to the bus (or back in when you return)
Tip the bus driver going and coming from the resort.
Tip the crew of the catamaran cruise, they will put out a tip jar on the bar.
Tip the crew or guides for off site excursions or water activities.
Tip the spa staff.

Porters at Airport $1 per bag.
Shuttle drivers to and from airport $5 or 10 per couple. Some don't tip the drivers, we did as they are not couples employees.
Spa, we tipped $10 per massage, my wife tipped $5 for a pedicure.
Couples lounge btw, no tipping they are Couples employees.

When leaving commend any Couples employee who deserves praise on the comment card. The comments are used when evaluating the staff.

NO TIPPING!! REALLY NO TIPPING!! You should tip the bag handlers at the airport and we always tip our shuttle bus driver who takes us from the airport to the resort but when you are at the resort THERE IS NO TIPPING! It makes life so worry free.

The bus drivers to and from the resort 10.00 each, the baggage handlers at the airport 2.00 per bag,lol and they expect it,also on the catamaran cruise we went on at CSA there was a tip jar on the bar..

- shuttle driver to the resort & back to airport ($5 -$20 is what is normal) If they are very friendly & giving lots of info on the island & all we tip more ... if they just get you there with no frills we tip less. If also depends to us on how many other couples are going at the same time ... if there are several we tip less than if it's just us & 1 or 2 other couples.

- spa staff at the resort (depends on what you're having done)

- tour guides

- taxi drivers

TIP: Take small bills ... Lot's of $1's & $5's & nothing larger than a $20. It's pretty impossible to get change from vendors, etc. & even at the airport shops.

Does anyone know how much it costs to get video or pics of ziplining through Chukka, and DRF?? 2 more days trying to make sure we bring enough cash...so also when we book the ziplining for example can we choose in advance to get video? Thanks everyone!

Originally Posted by RubiGal04

Starting from when you get off the plane, you'll tip the baggage handlers on the way to your bus ride to the resort. Don't let anybody get your bag until you get to the Couples lounge and they'll take your bag from there and get a tag on it... don't tip them, they are Couples employees. You tip the guys OUTSIDE that take the bags to the bus. That's your first tip upon arrival. $1 or $2 per person/bag These are not Couples employees, thus the tip.

Then tip the driver of the bus when he drops you off at your resort, again, not a Couples employee, so you tip. We usually give him about $5 or $10

Now you are on the resort and none of those employees are tipped, ever.

In the spa, these are contracted to Couples, so you can tip if you want, but not required. We usually have massages and tip $10 or $15

If you take any excursions that are outside the resort, again, those are not Couples employees so take tip money. Example, Dunns River Falls... you'll tip the bus driver, guides on the Falls, and the videographer... about $5 each or whatever you want.

Again... ON the resort, none of those employees are tipped... you can put away your money the whole time you are there... relax....

When you leave the resort to head home... tip the driver when he drops you off at the airport.

Advice here... get your own bag off the bus and proceed inside to the airport. It's totally unnecessary and almost a scam how the guys will stand outside the busses dropping off people to go into the airport for their return trip home. They grab the bags, and drop them on the ground and then demand tip money. We always just get our own bag off and proceed on inside. It's literaly a few steps. I don't mind tipping for a service, but this is highway robbery and we don't allow them to get our bag off the bus anymore after that first trip when we didn't know any better, and another couple told us what was going on.

i won't be tipping the baggage handlers again, I'll carry my own bags and not have to deal with them demanding a tip, once we got the airport on the way back I made sure to get my bags before they went on the cart and others we rode there with took their bags off the cart and didn't tip. the driver, tour guides, ect deserve to be tipped. I will never tip the baggage handlers again. I think I also tipped the guy who watches your bags at the lounge gave me piece of mind.

I really wish someone from Couples would clarify the tipping policy with respect to the spa. On previous visits, the rule was that spa workers were not couples employees so that you tipped them just like the bus drivers. However when my wife and I were at CSA last March we were told on check in that this policy had changed and now the spa was covered by the Couple no tipping policy. So when my wife went for the first time she didn't tip. Then shortly after this, she saw other people tipping, and she felt terrible. So we both tipped for the rest of our stay.

Here's the thing. We're perfectly happy to conform to whatever the local policy is. If tips are in order, we'll take that into account when deciding how much to spend in the spa, but we don't want to offend anyone and we'd definitely like to make sure everyone is properly compensated. The only thing that bugs us is telling us the policy is X, making a decision to consume (or not) and then finding out later that the policy is X + 20%.

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Couples (RandyMon!) clarify this. We'll go along with whatever the policy is (we're headed back to couples next March). We just need to know what the policy really is. Thanks!

Tipping for water activities?

In one of the posts in this thread it says you should tip for water activities. Does include onsite activities, like snorkeling, scuba, hobie cat,etc... I am more than happy to tip anyone who deserves to be tipped.
Thanks you!

I just wish the tip at the spa was included in the price of the service and be done with it. I don't want to worry about carrying cash anywhere on the resort.

We stop by our room for a quick shower before going to the spa to rinse off any sand and grab our spa certificate and money for tips at that time. We're not carrying money around the resort all day long but only retrieve some from the safe when we need it.

In one of the posts in this thread it says you should tip for water activities. Does include onsite activities, like snorkeling, scuba, hobie cat,etc... I am more than happy to tip anyone who deserves to be tipped.
Thanks you!

Pamela , call me lazy but the resort has gone cashless. I don't want to have to open the safe and be bothered with tipping while on the Resort. Just my opinion, I like to just lock away my things and be done. That's why we like Couples so much.

One should tip any luggage handler or Bus (Van) driver. Also anyone NOT associated with the Resort. This includes tipping the Catamaran Crew, who are not actual employees of the resort. Resort employees are absolutely NOT allowed to accept any tips.

We just got back - on our "massage days" I threw tip money in the beach bag and never had any problems. Of course we were at CSS so it was a private beach but I've never had problems in Negril either. FYI we tip $15 on a one hour massage and $20 on a 90 minute massage. Still much cheaper than the expected tip at home.